“With great power comes great responsibility.” The same is true for storytelling.
This is the final post in a series on “The Power of Storytelling.” Read “A Relational Tool,” “Social Momentum,” “Rapport,” and “Resonance.”
Storytelling is best with some moderation. This is why throughout the series, the emphasis has been on the ability to tell effective stories. Not every opportunity needs to be seized or every case taken up. Timing the deployment of your finely tuned skill maximized the impact.
Storytelling is a tool, not a bludgeon.
The Social Robot Problem
Humans are social creatures. Being methodical and plotting about how to control an interaction doesn’t allow you to actually be in the interaction, live in the moment, and enjoy the company of others. Thinking about the next experience you’re going to share to win someone over is rarely attractive. Having a list of experiences at the ready is rarely helpful (the exception being job interviews in some cases based on stock questions that almost always get asked). The key is to be ready to drop a story when the moment arrives, not try to make every moment a time for you to shine.
The Douchebag Problem
The other downside to too much storytelling is that people see you as a braggart. No body likes a braggart.
Conclusion
You can get addicted to having everyone love you and think your interesting. You can enjoy molding an experience with others. Just remember: storytelling in an interaction works as a parabola, where the left and right tails are you being a turnoff and the sweet spot of being fun is in the middle.
Enjoy the company of others, live in the moment, and use the tool of storytelling to enhance and advance your connections (and on this Christmas Eve, that seems the most useful advice of all).